This invention relates to an integrated circuit chips cooling module having a coolant leakage prevention device. More particularly, it relates to an integrated circuit chips cooling module provided with a coolant leakage prevention device and a coolant leakage detection means in the field of water-cooled multichip modules which are required to be of high reliability for use in a high speed computer among others.
In the field of a computer or the like, there is widely adopted a packaging system in which in order to achieve a high speed circuit operation, integrated circuit chips of high power consumption are densely arranged on a wiring substrate such as printed circuit board or ceramic board. The power dissipation of such a wiring substrate amounts to several hundreds watts. It is apparent, therefore, that it is an important key to the embodiment of a high speed computer to work out a powerful and compact cooling system for absorbing a large dissipated power.
To meet the above requirements, various cooling devices have heretofore been proposed. Examples are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,558,395 and 4,644,385. The coolant flow systems for these integrated circuit cooling modules of the prior art are provided with, for example, pipes in bellows form. The conceivable methods for the manufacture of such bellow include electrocasting using an electroplating technique, lamination of a large number of metals using welding or similar joining techniques, and plastic working of metal pipes by press forming or the like. In all of these joining techniques, it is necessary for the production of flexible bellows to make the final wall thickness sufficiently small. In such a case, it is anticipated that there is a possibility of coolant leakage into the cooling module caused by pin holes formed during the fabrication of bellows or by corrosion due to the flow of coolant after assembly of the cooling module. In the above patent literature, nothing has been disclosed about the coolant leakage prevention means.